Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) As of September 1st 2020, patients with relapsed/refractory CLL and SLL considered unsuitable for treatment or retreatment with a purine analogue (a chemotherapy agent) will have access to acalabrutinib. One of the criteria for purine analogue ineligibility is the presence of ‘del17p’ which is a genomic … Continued
Since June 2020 the FDA has approved 6 new blood cancer treatments and expanded the use of an already available treatment. Sadly none are approved for use in Australia yet. This highlights how important it is that we continue to fund research through clinical trials to provide access to next generation treatments ahead of Australian … Continued
Dr Michael Dickinson is the Lead of the Aggressive Lymphoma disease group within Clinical Haematology at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital. Michael has been instrumental in treating patients with chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy nationally. As Snowdome supported Michael for several years as the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Clinician Researcher … Continued
The Snowdome Board are sad to announce that after 8 successful years as the CEO of the Snowdome Foundation, Miriam Dexter has decided it is time to move on and spend more time with her family. “We will forever be grateful for all of Miriam’s efforts in leading our organisation to significant and sustained growth. … Continued
In December 2019 the Snowdome Chair, Roger Greenman AM, announced to the Board that 2020 would be his 6th and final year at the helm of Snowdome, before retiring. On behalf of Australian Blood Cancer patients, the Board would like to thank Roger for his dedicated service to our mission, which has seen Snowdome’s impact … Continued
Four years ago, if you had a blood cancer in Western Australia (WA) and needed access to the latest treatment via a clinical trial, you had no alternative other than flying to Melbourne or Sydney, every other week. This inequality of care in Western Australia led Snowdome to fund Blood Cancer Research WA. The centre … Continued
Victoria has been in lockdown for 3 weeks and new COVID 19 cases don’t seem to be slowing. What does all this mean to us as a community and those of us living with a blood cancer?
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has been approved in Australia for forms of leukaemia and lymphoma for a while now, but we are still awaiting adequate evidence that CAR-T cell therapy works effectively in myeloma. CAR-T cell therapy genetically modifies T-cells to hunt out and find a protein (CD19) that is found on … Continued
Dr Kylee Maclachlan moved her career and her family to New York City in August last year to help improve outcomes for Australian myeloma patients. Kylee is aiming to establish an ongoing collaboration between the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre to share clinical trials, treatment protocols and expert knowledge. … Continued